33 Luxury Penthouses with Major Opulence

Penthouses—by definition—are luxurious. Perched on the highest floors, these apartments inevitably offer the best views in a building and often feature exclusive amenities, too, such as private elevators, rooftop gardens, or sky-high pools. Add a few lavish elements into the mix, like glass curtain walls, barrel-vaulted ceilings, velvet upholstery, and custom-designed furniture, and you have a true palace in the sky. Here, you’ll find some of our favorite penthouses featured over the years in the pages of Architectural Digest. Whether you’re drawn to the stunning views of New York City, the envy-inducing artworks, or the iconic furnishings, these 33 spectacular apartments are sure to inspire the opulent side of any (hopeful) high-rise resident.

The design firm Dufner Heighes conceived this Manhattan penthouse for a Chicago-based family. In the living area, a pair of Michael Berman Limited club chairs from Profiles and a Holly Hunt sofa upholstered in a Holland & Sherry wool-mohair surround an Ado Chale cocktail table; the mirror is by BDDW, the credenza and tripod floor lamp are by Christian Liaigre, the Jim Zivic anthracite side table is from Ralph Pucci International, and the custom-made rug is by ALT for Living.

Interior designer Jean-Louis Deniot created a lyrical New York pied-à-terre for a family based in Paris and Aspen, Colorado; SPAN Architecture collaborated on the structural work. In the double-height living room, a Deniot-designed daybed covered in a Métaphores fabric and accented by an Hermès throw is joined by several vintage pieces, including a FontanaArte side table (in the foreground), an Ado Chale cocktail table, and an Edward Wormley sofa. The artwork above the fireplace is by Mauro Perucchetti, the 1950s table lamps are from On Site Antiques, and the custom-made silk rug is by Tai Ping.

In the master bedroom of jewelry designer Kara Ross's Manhattan penthouse, '60s Lucite lamps from John Salibello stand atop custom-made John Boone night tables flanking the bespoke bed, which was fabricated by Jonas and upholstered in an Edelman leather.

Diane von Furstenberg’s live/work space, perched atop her Meatpacking District corporate headquarters, was designed by the architecture firm WORKac. Surrounded by Franz West chairs, the Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann table in Von Furstenberg’s office/living area often does double duty as a desk and dining table. A Joan Miró etching, a Francesco Clemente painting, and family photographs are displayed on the windowsill.

The Manhattan penthouse of designer Michael S. Smith and James Costos, which Smith renovated with Oscar Shamamian of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, brims with Francophile touches. The living room’s Louis XVI–style gilt-wood fauteuils, upholstered in a Jasper fabric, bracket a Japanese lacquer robe chest on a stand; the painting, mounted on the wall of antiqued mirror, is by Philip Taaffe, and the Aubusson is Louis XV.

In Yoon Kim's Manhattan penthouse, which was designed by David Mann and Brett McMullen of MR Architecture + Décor, the custom-made De Angelis sofa is covered in an Edelman leather, the blackened-steel console was custom made by Soraya Ltd., and the Ball chair with goat-hair upholstery is by Inmod The cowhide rug is by Beauvais Carpets, and the walls throughout the loft are painted in a white custom blend by Benjamin Moore.

The heart of Allegra Hicks' penthouse in Naples, Italy, is a long, high-ceilinged room divided into living and dining areas, each anchored by Allegra Hicks carpets. The designer also created the Roman-shade fabric, the cut velvet on the wood-framed Jindrich Halabala armchairs, and the butterfly-specimen table at right; an 18th-century Venetian mirror surmounts the mantel.

As part of their update of a New York City duplex, John B. Murray Architect and interior design firm Cullman & Kravis strikingly transformed the entrance hall, where an expanded skylight now illuminates paintings by (from left) Sean Scully, Adolph Gottlieb, and Giorgio Cavallon; the vintage Louis XVI–style lantern is from Newel, and the English Regency center table is from Niall Smith Antiques.

A glass-walled penthouse showcases the living room, dining room, and kitchen of a New York City duplex renovated by Steven Harris Architects and decorated by Rees Roberts + Partners. The outdoor seating is by Dedon, while the living room chair in the foreground is vintage Milo Baughman. Indiana limestone paves both the terrace and the interior.

Paneling by Féau & Cie Boiserie lines the living room of a Chicago duplex penthouse renovated by designer Michael S. Smith in collaboration with Marvin Herman & Assoc. Architects. A Mark Bradford mixed-media work overlooks a Jonas sectional sofa and a pair of Jean-Bérenger de Nattes cocktail tables from Maison Gerard. The ceiling fixture is by Philippe Anthonioz, the Eve Kaplan mirrors are from Gerald Bland, the Hervé Van der Straeten dining table is from Ralph Pucci International, and the vintage Tabriz carpet is from Doris Leslie Blau.

“Like the photography and art collected by the homeowners, the space frames perspective views,” architect Lee F. Mindel says of a New York penthouse that he designed with Peter L. Shelton. A Donald Judd work is mounted on the living room wall.

Interior decorator Thomas Britt created a new study/screening room for a penthouse apartment in New York’s Greenwich Village. He designed the sofa and bought the dhurrie in India; the Italian sculpture is from Amy Perlin Antiques.

Interior designer Charles Allem gutted a young family’s Manhattan penthouse, converting it into a glamorous space that celebrates Art Deco style. A 1937 work by Picasso hangs over the mantelpiece in the living room.

On New York’s Upper West Side, architects Jane Siris and Peter Coombs combined two penthouse apartments into a single residence; Jason Bell did the interior design. In the living/dining area, the architects replaced a large column with a bookshelf unit and installed French doors. The armchairs are upholstered in a Bergamo fabric.

Architect Robert A. Levy worked with interior designer Melinda Brizzolara Crader on an open-plan penthouse for a couple in Houston. The living area features a triptych by John Pavlicek; a Kravet velvet is used on the dining chairs and the Biedermeier daybed.

Designer Andrée Putman's latest renovation of Morgans, the Manhattan boutique hotel she first designed in 1984, refreshes the space without changing its essential elements. The penthouse's living area includes plenty of windows for natural light.

Silver leaf adds drama to the living room's barrel-vaulted ceiling in a Manhattan penthouse decorated by Charles Allem. Velvet curtains, hand-printed in Italy hang from beveled-mirror rods of his design.

MAC II's Mica Ertegün decorated a couple's 6,000-square-foot penthouse in a midtown Manhattan condominium building by architect Robert A. M. Stern. In the living room, a pair of oils by Thomas Hart Benton flanks the doorway.

Designer Ron Mann refurbished this modern penthouse in London overlooking the Thames. In the main living area is a four-panel lacquered screen by Shiryu Morita; hand-cast magnesium tables attach to the three-section sofa Mann custom made for the space.

Architect Robert A. M. Stern converted a shed atop his 34th Street Manhattan office into a private aerie for reading, writing, and relaxation. The furnishings include a Bruno Mathsson lounge chair and ottoman, a pair of Alvar Aalto lounge chairs, and a dining table by Eero Saarinen.

“It's light, ethereal, sharp, crisp and comfortable above all,” architect and designer Campion Platt says of his SoHo penthouse. To take advantage of the living room’s oversize windows, he installed diaphanous made of a Bergamo fabric curtains to capture the strong western light.

Renovated by architect Mark Janson of Janson Goldstein, the Manhattan penthouse apartment of fashion publicist Ed Filipowski and Barneys New York CEO Mark Lee broadcasts a rugged sense of chic. The vintage Jens Risom chair and ottoman at right are upholstered in gray flannel, the Erwin-Lambeth sofas are clad in Ultrasuede by KnollTextiles, and the 1970s cube chairs are dressed in parrot-green velvet.

The Chicago penthouse of venture capitalist David Kronfeld was decorated by Mitchell Turnbough, who designed the sofa and low table in the living area. The former is clad in a Clarence House satin and features Samuel & Sons fringe.

In Palm Beach, Florida, the design firm Aman & Carson updated the loft-style penthouse of philanthropist Emily Fisher Landau. An artwork by Willem de Kooning presides over the living area, where an Asian-style altar table holds an Alexander Calder mobile. Swedish neoclassical stools are upholstered in a leopard-print velvet by Brunschwig & Fils, and the handwoven white leather rug is by Stark.

Decorator Nicholas Kilner recently revamped the penthouse of the American Thread Co. building, a New York landmark. In the great room, a John McCracken steel totem is placed beside a sitting area outfitted with Hugues Chevalier sofas, while a Meissen polar bear pads across the Paul Evans cocktail table. At left, a Raymond Léon Rivoire bust rests atop a pedestal, and an An-My Lê print hangs over the mantel; the large steel 88, at far right, is an artwork by Banks Violette.

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